I am looking for a site design that is "modern"-looking ("Web 2.0" - simple, clean), but with a touch of "Old World."

The layout and color scheme can be very simple. A light background with blue div's would work.

Use a serif font for the logo. I would like a graphic, such as an image of Rodin's "Thinker" wearing a beret, next to the letters. It can be as simple as a photo of the famous statue, with the beret drawn and pasted on his head. I'm open to other creative suggestions, and I'm flexible if you have interesting ideas for graphics.

Site structure and layout:
Home has a blog with user comments
Logo at the top left
Navigation links in a panel on the left side, OR from left-to-right underneath the logo (pages will include Home, Forums, Learn)
Login on the left side
The content should take up most of the screen
There will be a small ads section on the right side

The deliverables should include standards-compliant, clean-looking CSS+HTML and graphics for the logo.